History YMMV / SexAndTheCity

** Similarly to Big's behavior, there's Steve's behavior at the beginning of his and Miranda's relationship. Miranda makes it abundantly clear that she wants nothing more than their one-night-stand, and he responds by refusing to accept it and hounding her until she gives in. This is obsessive and stalkerish behavior portrayed as sweet and cute, something that wouldn't fly today.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board. Likewise when ''Series/AndJustLikeThat'' came out Creator/KimCattrall wanted nothing to do with it. Many fans of Samantha Jones made up their own reasons of why she left New York because the reason ''And Just Like That...'' gave was extremely out of character for her.

** Big practically forcing himself on Carrie--grabbing and kissing her even while she pushes him away and says "Fuck you" (in other words, "'''''NO'''''") didn't look right even then and it sure as hell doesn't now, in light of both the [=#MeToo=] era and the sexual assault allegations made against Chris Noth.

* SpiritualSuccessor: There is a similar vibe at times to AllyMcbeal, albeit without the eccentricity and CGI. Samantha is much like Ling (perhaps even subconsciously lampshaded when she once represents Lucy Liu as herself), Miranda is much like Nelle, Carrie has some similarities to Ally, and Charlotte is like a more conservative version of Georgia.

* SpiritualSuccessor: There is a similar vibe at times to AllyMcBeal, albeit without the eccentricity and CGI. Samantha is much like Ling (perhaps even subconsciously lampshaded when she once represents Lucy Liu as herself), Miranda is much like Nelle, Carrie has some similarities to Ally, and Charlotte is like a more conservative version of Georgia.

** Similar to Big's behavior, there's Steve's behavior at the beginning of his and Miranda's relationship. Miranda makes it abundantly clear that she wants nothing more than their one-night-stand, and he responds by refusing to accept it and hounding her until she gives in. This is obsessive and stalkerish behavior portrayed as sweet and cute, something that wouldn't fly today.

* BrokenBase: Fierce debate still goes on to this day over whether Carrie or Charlotte was in the wrong in the "Ring a Ding Ding" episode. Was Charlotte a bad friend for not offering to help Carrie out, and a hypocrite for telling her she needed to "learn to stand on [her] own" while living on inherited money? Or was Carrie an [[EntitledBastard Entitled Bastard]] for expecting Charlotte to bail her out of her self-induced money problems, disrespecting boundaries, and accepting Charlotte's wedding ring to sell as a down payment when the latter gave in?

** Trey during his and Charlotte's disastrous marriage. While he was certainly far from perfect, Charlotte conveniently overlooked the fact that she rushed into marrying him, rushed into having a baby two seconds after they reconciled, and went completely overboard with her efforts to procure a child once it was learned that she had fertility problems--infertility treatments, support groups, adoption lists, etc., nearly all of which she did without even discussing it with him. When an exhausted Trey asks if they can simply take a break from all the baby-making efforts, his completely understandable request is treated like a horrible betrayal and it's pretty much the beginning of the end for them. She dumps the blame for the failure of their marriage squarely on his shoulders and never once sees where she contributed to it.

* AwesomeEgo: Samantha.

** Perhaps most ironically given the aforementioned incidents, the sequel series ''Series/AndJustLikeThat'' actually [[QueerCharacterQueerActor makes Miranda bisexual like her actress]], where she has an affair with a queer, non-binary person behind Steve's back.

** Perhaps most ironically given the aforementioned incidents, the sequel series ''Series/AndJustLikeThat'' actually [[QueerCharacterQueerActor makes Miranda bisexual like her actress]], where she has an affair with a woman behind Steve's back.

** Perhaps most ironically given the aforementioned incidents, the sequel series ''Series/AndJustLikeThat'' actually [[QueerCharacterQueerActor makes Miranda bisexual like her actress]], where she has an affair with a woman behind Steve's back

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board. Likewise when ''Series/AndJustLikeThat'' came out Creator/KimCattrall wanted nothing to do with it. Many fans of Samantha Jones made up their own reasons of why she left New York because the reason Series/AndJustLikeThat gave was extremely out of character for her.

* InformedWrongness: Charlotte is painted as a self-centered jerk for not lending Carrie $10,000 and citing NeverLendToAFriend. Many viewers were on Charlotte's side, given Carrie's financial irresponsibility.
** Miranda also, for continually rebuffing Steve at the beginning of their relationship. She made it clear that she wanted nothing more than their one-night-stand, yet she's supposedly wrong for getting increasingly annoyed with his refusal to accept this and leave her alone.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board. Likewise when Series/AndJustLikeThat came out Creator/KimCattrall wanted nothing to do with it. Many fans of Samantha Jones made up their own reasons of why she left New York because the reason Series/AndJustLikeThat gave was extremely out of character for her.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board. Likewise when Series/AndJustLikeThat came Creator/KimCattrall wanted nothing to do with it. Many fans of Samantha have made up their own reasons of why she left New York because the Series/AndJustLikeThat reason was extremely out of character for her.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board. Likewise when Series/AndJustLikeThat? came Creator/KimCattrall wanted nothing to do with it. Most fans of Samantha made up their own reasons of why she left because AJLT’s reason was extremely out of character.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Creator/KimCattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Creator/SarahJessicaParker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Creator/KristinDavis and Creator/CynthiaNixon are on-board.

** Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte once reacted to Carrie's GuyOfTheWeek being bisexual with reactions that nowadays would be considered biphobic, complete with Carrie ultimately stating in a rather {{Anvilicious}} manner that she did not believe bisexuality to be "a real thing".

** Big practically forcing himself on Carrie--grabbing and kissing her even while she pushes him away and says "Fuck you" (in other words, "'''''NO'''''") didn't look right even then and it sure as hell doesn't now.

** In the first few seasons, Carrie smokes cigarettes. ''A lot.'' Back when the series began, it was questionable -- but acceptable. Nowadays it would not be acceptable, and would be a major turnoff to a lot of dates. She also frequently lights up in other people's homes without asking permission, then acts appalled when someone asks her to smoke on the terrace. DesignatedHero much?
*** She eventually weans herself off of them as she's dating Aiden, as it was indeed a major turnoff for him.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: This American-made series was considered to be very daring and groundbreaking for addressing issues of sex and relationships that other shows hadn't discussed before, especially from a female standpoint. Other viewers in the US watched it because they felt it was ''hot and saucy''. In Europe the show was appreciated more for its comedy and camp value, because the fact that the main cast always have sex without removing their bras or with [[ModestyBedsheet sheets covering up their genitals]] [[CoversAlwaysLie still comes across as very prudish for a show with the word ''sex'' in the title]].

* AmericansHateTingle: This American-made series was considered to be very daring and groundbreaking for addressing issues of sex and relationships that other shows hadn't discussed before, especially from a female standpoint. Other viewers in the US watched it because they felt it was ''hot and saucy''. In Europe the show was appreciated more for its comedy and camp value, because the fact that the main cast always have sex without removing their bras or with [[ModestyBedsheet sheets covering up their genitals]] [[CoversAlwaysLie still comes across as very prudish for a show with the word ''sex'' in the title]].

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Just because you support abortion doesn't make actually having one any easier. Carrie got an abortion after getting pregnant from a one night stand with a waiter who didn't even remember her, and while she's never regretted that decision, she's never felt "good" per se about that decision. Samantha admits she's had two and Miranda's had one in the past, and while neither regretted theirs either, they pointedly don't make eye contact for a moment when they confess that.

* HarsherInHindsight: Any time Carrie mocks Samantha or the two have a falling out falls into this when you consider how Kim Cattrall has made it clear the rumors of an ongoing feud between her and Sarah Jessica Parker were ''not'' fake and because of this, she has refused to return for a third movie while Kirsten Davis and Cynthia Nixon are on-board.
* HilariousInHindsight: Miranda's actress Cynthia Nixon coming out as bisexual puts several incidents in the show in a new light:

* HilariousInHindsight: The waiter in the first movie mistaking Miranda and Carrie for a couple when Cynthia Nixon is bisexual in real life.

** [[Series/TwoBrokeGirls Maxine "Max" Black]] was the 13 year old Jewish girl who hired Samantha to perform a Bar Mitzvah.

* BrokenBase: Fierce debate still goes on to this day over whether Carrie or Charlotte was in the wrong in the "Ring a Ding Ding" episode. Was Charlotte a bad friend for not offering to help Carrie out, and a hyprocrite for telling her she needed to "learn to stand on [her] own" while living on inherited money? Or was Carrie an [[EntitledBastard Entitled Bastard]] for expecting Charlotte to bail her out of her self-induced money problems, disrespecting boundaries, and accepting Charlotte's wedding ring to sell as a down payment when the latter gave in?

* BrokenBase: Fierce debate still goes on to this day over whither Carrie or Charlotte was in the wrong in the "Ring a Ding Ding" episode. Was Charlotte a bad friend for not offering to help Carrie out, and a hyprocrite for telling her she needed to "learn to stand on [her] own" while living on inherited money? Or was Carrie an [[EntitledBastard Entitled Bastard]] for expecting Charlotte to bail her out of her self-induced money problems, disrespecting boundaries, and accepting Charlotte's wedding ring to sell as a down payment when the latter gave in?

** Carrie smokes cigarettes. ''A lot.'' Back when the series began, it was questionable -- but acceptable. Nowadays it would not be acceptable, and would be a major turnoff to a lot of dates. She also frequently lights up in other people's homes without asking permission, then acts appalled when someone asks her to smoke on the terrace. DesignatedHero much?

** Carrie smokes cigarettes a lot. Back when the series began, it was questionable -- but acceptable. Nowadays it would not be acceptable, and would be a major turnoff to a lot of dates. She also frequently lights up in other people's homes without asking permission, then acts appalled when someone asks her to smoke on the terrace. DesignatedHero much?

*** Similarly, there's Steve's behavior at the beginning of his and Miranda's relationship. Miranda makes it abundantly clear that she wants nothing more than their one-night-stand, and he responds by refusing to accept it and hounding her until she gives in. This is obsessive and stalkerish behavior portrayed as sweet and cute, something that wouldn't fly today.

** Considering all the other kinky and unorthodox things Samantha did, why all the fuss and controversy about her dating a black man?
*** That wasn't the actual problem -- the guy's sister was [[MySisterIsOffLimits incredibly overprotective and clingy towards her brother]] and told Samantha she didn't want him dating a white woman, but Samantha realized she actually just didn't want her brother dating ''any'' woman, period and when he refused to confront his sister, she dumped him.